Abstract: The maintenance of structure and stability of plant community is of importance for environmental protection in arid areas. In this study, the characteristics of plant communities along four sections in the lower reaches of Tarim River were investigated using transect methods. The survey data in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 were used to examine the changes of plant species composition at different distances from the river. Moreover, Shannon index, Alatalo index and ecological dominance were selected to analyze species diversity and evenness. The results showed that species richness increased from 17 to 31 with the implementation of the ecological water conveyance. The proportion of trees and shrubs declined, and the proportion of understory herbaceous species increased, resulting in more balanced collocations of treeshrub grass. In general, the Shannon index and Alatalo index of plant community increased significantly, while the ecological dominance decreased, indicating that plant communities were more speciesrich and homogeneous. The stability of plant community has increased gradually since the beginning of ecological water transport, but it is unstable.

Key words: stability, mineral modification, biochar, soil organic carbon., carbon sequestration